


How Not To Ask Harry Potter Out

by ThatMerlinFangirl



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Ah the wonders of teen love, Awkwardness, Flirting, Fluff, Harry and tom are at school at the same time, M/M, Romance, non-voldemort au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-31
Updated: 2016-12-31
Packaged: 2018-09-13 18:48:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9136921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatMerlinFangirl/pseuds/ThatMerlinFangirl
Summary: In which Tom fails to be charming, Harry is a closet Narnia nerd and there is a lot of 'umm'ing going on at Hogwarts. Stuttering Solvent is the suspected culprit.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I never knew I needed this ship until I found it.
> 
> I don't know if it's just me but there seems to be a lack of Tomarry fluff. So I thought I'd write some of my own.

"Harry!"  
Tom nearly stumbles in his haste to reach him and silently curses the thick snow that has settled everywhere. Although it does make the scene rather more romantic. And no, he most certainly did not just think that. Preposterous.  
"Hi Tom," Harry, a tattered book under his arm, greets him, looking slightly bemused. "I thought you had detention?"  
"Professor Snape was kind enough to intervene in my behalf."  
Harry chuckles. "You manipulative bastard."  
"Thank you for that exceedingly kind and thoughtful compliment."  
"Oh no need. They're my speciality."  
They both giggle. Harry flushes red. Tom thinks how very cute he looks like that and then quickly looks away. Harry bites his lip. Tom lets out another awkward laugh. Harry stares and then bows his head, now approximately the colour of a constipated gnome.  
"Um," Tom begins eloquently. "Can I talk to you?"  
"Aren't you already?"  
"Ah. Yes. Of course. Excellent observation," he blusters. "Um... what are you reading?"  
Which was not exactly what he had been planning to ask but _Witch_ _Weekly_ says that it's always good to engage in small talk with your crush to let them know you're interested. And no, Tom most definitely does not read _Witch_ _Weekly_ for courting advice, let alone put it into practice.  
"Oh. Um," Harry bites his lip. "It's - well it's a Muggle book actually. _The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe_. You probably haven't heard of it."  
"I grew up in a Muggle orphanage," Tom reminds him. "But no, I haven't. What's it about?"  
"It's brilliant! So there's these four children who are sent to live with this slightly weird professor because it's the war -" and Harry is off, telling him about the world of Narnia inside an old wardrobe and the Ice Queen and Aslan the lion and Prince Caspian and the Dawn Treader and the Silver Chair. And Tom doesn't take in single word. He just watches Harry talking, those beautiful green eyes glittering like diamonds, his whole face lit up, gesturing wildly and meditates on how adorably nerdy and enthusiastic he is. And how he absolutely doesn't want to kiss him at all. No way.  
"... and then they - oh Godric, sorry," Harry cuts himself off abruptly. "I didn't mean to go on like that, I -"  
"No no, it's fine. Really," Tom assures him, mindful of the stupid grin which will not leave his face.  
Harry cocks his head to the side. "I take it you didn't chase after me just to ask what my favourite book is?"  
"Well no, obviously," Salazar help him, his heart is about to spontaneously combust. "I, err, wanted to, um... ask, err..."  
Normally good with words, Tom's brain currently seems to be marinating in Stuttering Solvent. Which isn't good when he's trying to be charming.  
"You wanted to ask me something?" Harry prompts.  
Tom wishes those stupid, gorgeous eyes weren't so easy to drown in.  
"Basically... Harry, I really like you. As in, like like. Um, I think you're really smart and brave and funny and also you're kind of adorable and I've been trying to ask you this for a while, but, um, there's a Hogsmeade visit scheduled for Saturday and I was wonder - I was wondering if you wanted to go. With me. Um."  
Tom hangs his head in shame. The world record for the fastest refusal of a date is headed his way.   
"Yeah!"  
He looks up to discover that Harry is a) not trying to kill him or b) running away in fear. Instead, he is smiling broadly.  
"Yeah! Yeah I'd love to go to Hogsmeade with you!"  
"Really?"  
"Yes!"  
"Well, thank Merlin. I was convinced you were going to say no."  
Harry snorts. "The state you were working yourself into, I thought you were going to propose."  
Tom raises an eyebrow. "Is that a hint at something?"  
"What?! No, of course not, I - Tom Riddle, are you _flirting_ with me?"  
Tom smirks. "Is it a problem?"  
"... not really."  
"So, you're OK to meet me in the Great Hall at ten on Saturday then?"  
"Yeah, that sounds great."  
"OK. Good."  
"Good."  
"Good."  
"Good."  
They get into another giggling-blushing-looking away cycle for a few minutes.  
"Well, um, see you then." Harry smiles. He leans up on tiptoe and presses a quick kiss to Tom's cheek. Then he runs off.  
Tom stands there and watches him. He gently touches his cheek where Harry kissed it.  
It takes every ounce of willpower for him not to jump and down and squeal with delight.  
Which he definitely does not do later in the privacy of the Slytherin dormitory.


End file.
